Boy Who Murdered Girlfriend, 14, Searched How Long Bodies Take to 'Come Apart in Water' After Pregnancy Fears

A boy convicted of murdering his 14-year-old girlfriend searched online about a body breaking apart in water around the time she disappeared, jurors heard. Prosecutors alleged that Raymond Wright Jr strangled Samantha Humphrey after an argument over a possible pregnancy and disposed of her body in the Mohawk River.

Wright, now 18, was 14 when Samantha disappeared in Schenectady, New York, on 25 November 2022. A jury convicted him of second-degree murder on 2 November 2026 after examining digital evidence, disputed forensic findings and his claim that he left her alive.

Deleted Searches Presented to Jurors

Investigators recovered deleted searches from Wright's phone, including one asking whether a body would break apart after remaining in water too long. Another concerned a film scene involving someone's neck being snapped.

Jurors heard that Wright searched online about a body breaking apart in water the day after Samantha disappeared. Prosecutors also presented phone-location records, surveillance footage and physical evidence.

Pregnancy Discussions Preceded Disappearance

Prosecutor Christina Tremante-Pelham told jurors that Samantha contacted Wright on 15 November 2022 to tell him something important. After several phone calls, both teenagers searched for early pregnancy symptoms and the cost of an abortion, she said.

Wright testified that their later walk towards the river became heated as Samantha insisted she was pregnant and he expressed doubt. Prosecutors linked the confrontation to that disagreement, although Samantha's pregnancy was never medically confirmed.

Timeline and Socks Challenged Wright's Account

Phone records placed the teenagers heading towards the river, past the Union College boathouse and towards a train bridge, while surveillance footage also helped establish their movements. Samantha called a friend around 11.36pm, and Wright's phone showed him returning home around 1am.

After the verdict, Tremante-Pelham highlighted roughly 90 minutes that were unaccounted for in Wright's version of events and socks recovered from the river that matched his and carried his DNA. Wright testified that he removed his wet socks after Samantha pushed him into the water.

Defence Challenged Medical Examiner's Findings

Wright admitted punching Samantha and pushing her twice into shallow water, but denied killing her and maintained that he left her alive. His lawyers challenged the medical examiner's conclusion and argued that she could have died by suicide afterwards.

Forensic pathologist Dr Michael Sikirica initially classified the death as undetermined in August 2024, before changing his determination to homicide by strangulation or suffocation in May 2025. He said additional evidence, including location data, DNA, Wright's statements and the locations of Samantha's belongings, informed that assessment.

Alternative DNA Evidence Examined at Trial

Defence lawyer Peter Lynch questioned whether investigators had adequately accounted for another person's DNA found on Samantha's clothing. Prosecutors maintained that phone-location data placed the individual elsewhere, although an investigator acknowledged that a phone's location does not necessarily establish its owner's whereabouts.

Speaking after the verdict, Tremante-Pelham also cited Samantha's belongings along a wooded trail when explaining why prosecutors rejected suicide. 'One of the key pieces of evidence for it not being a suicide is the fact that her single boot was found on that trail,' she said.

Samantha Humphrey's Family Awaits Sentencing

Samantha's body was recovered on 22 February 2023, but Wright was not charged until May 2025, leaving her family waiting years for the case to reach trial. Her relatives wiped their eyes as the verdict was delivered, while Wright fell forward onto the defence table.

Although Wright's case was heard in County Court, he was classified as a juvenile offender because he was 14 when the crime occurred. He faces a sentence of 15 years to life in prison when sentenced on 20 January 2027.